Program History

The Christus Spohn OB and Women’s Health Fellowship was established in 2002 to provide Family Medicine physicians added surgical skills in Obstetrics. Since then, the Fellowship has graduated 1-2 fellows almost every year. Our graduated Fellows have gone out to pursue their interests in different areas including Full scope FM-OB in private and academic settings with OB hospital privileges.

Minimum Requirements

• Completion of a 3-year ACGME accredited Family Medicine Residency (by July 1st of year you are applying for)
• Must be ECFMG certified if IMG applicant
• Texas medical license and DEA by Fellowship start date
• Board Certification in Family Medicine by ABFM by Fellowship start date
• Minimum of 30 Vaginal deliveries and 10 cesarean sections completed during residency
• At this time we are unable to sponsor visas for Fellowship or accept residents off cycle
• Fellowship year begins July 1st with Orientation starting 2-3 weeks prior
• Must have active certification for NRP and ALSO
  

   

Faculty/Staff

• Yanet Lobaina, MD, FM-OB Fellowship Director

• • Dr. Yanet Lobaina was born in Havana, Cuba and migrated to the United States at the age of nine. She graduated in 2015 receiving her MD degree from The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She then graduated from the Christus Spohn Family Medicine Residency Program in 2020 as well as an OB/Women’s Health Fellowship in 2021 and is board-certified in Family Medicine. She currently cares for patients from all walks of life from Newborns to Elderly. In addition, she cares for and delivers Obstetric patients and specializes in Women’s health. She is fluent in English and Spanish. Dr. Lobaina believes that patient care should always be compassionate and complete. She also believes that patients have a very important role in their care and should be involved in every decision along with their doctor. Dr. Lobaina has been the OB/Women’s Health Fellowship Director since July 2021. She is very passionate about her work and enjoys teaching. 
    

     

• Crystal Acosta, MD, FM-OB

  Dr. Crystal Acosta was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, where she also completed her undergraduate education. Moving to Houston, Texas, she graduated from The University of Texas at Houston McGovern Medical School. She completed her Family Medicine Residency Program at Christus Spohn and is board-certified in Family Medicine. She then completed an additional year of training at Christus Spohn doing the OB/Women’s Health Fellowship. Dr. Acosta is fluent in English and Spanish and has been on staff at the Christus Spohn Family Medicine Residency Program as FM-OB faculty since July 2021.

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• Judy Adams, RDMS
  

  • Judy was born in Miami, FL and moved cross country multiple times while growing up with her hippie parents. Judy fell in love with ultrasound as an x-ray student. She became a board registered OB Sonographer in 1992 and Abdominal ultrasound in 1994. Judy has a great passion for teaching and cannot wait to start working with you.

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• OB Hospitalists
  • Michelle Mulder, MD, Board-certified OB-GYN
  • Michael Karagas, MD, Board-certified OB-GYN
  • Roxanna Doucet, MD, Board-certified OB-GYN
  • Kristy Morales, MD, Board-certified OB-GYN
    

     

Curriculum/Duties

• Inpatient and outpatient maternity care
• Triage OB/GYN patients with OB Hospitalist or FM-OB Faculty in OB Emergency Department
• Perform a minimum of 100 cesarean sections (minimum of 50 as primary surgeon)
• Attend a minimum of 50 vaginal deliveries
• Structured, hands-on OB Ultrasound training
• Weekly OB didactics
• Weekly FM didactics every other month
• 1 Fellow Retreat
• Complete ALSO Instructor course and participate as Presenter for the Family Medicine Resident’s ALSO course
• Fellows may do a 1-month elective which may be away (out-of-state or international)
• Teach and direct FM Residents and medical students on inpatient OB service
• Run OB SIM Lab for FM Residents during their OB and GYN rotations
• 1 Research Project to be completed during fellowship
• Review OB clinic encounters performed by FM Residents
  

   

Sites:

• Family Medicine Academic Center (FMAC)
  • The Family Medicine Academic Center (FMAC) is our Family Medicine Residency outpatient continuity clinic. Here you will have a specialized OB clinic for new and established OB patients. You will work closely with FM-OB faculty and Licensed RDMS ultrasound technician for maternity care and ultrasound training.
    

     

• CHRISTUS Spohn South Hospital
  • CHRISTUS Spohn South Hospital is a level IV Maternal Designation. This is the highest level of care designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services for maternity care. We have in-house 24/7 Board Certified OB-GYN Hospitalists focused on providing high quality care to all Obstetrics and Gynecology patients. In addition, it is home to a Level II and Level III NICU with highly skilled, board-certified Neonatologists and Neonatal Nurse practitioners that provide the highest level of specialized care for premature and critically ill infants. Specialists in Maternal Fetal Medicine are also available for consultation for all high risk patients. For these reasons, we care for and receive transfers of very High Risk Pregnancy patients from all of South Texas. With the OB ED in the Labor and Delivery unit, you will see a broad patient population with varying medical/obstetric problems in Obstetric emergency and triage settings as well as be able to experience hands-on learning with labor and delivery. 
    

     

Benefits

• Salary: $63,250
• CME allowance: $1000
• Paid time off: 3 weeks vacation (1 week guaranteed during Christmas or New Year’s). 6 sick days. 
• Memberships to: AAFP, AMA, Local medical society, up-to-date. Also access to ACOG Medical
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Plans
• Dependent Day Care and FSA accounts
• Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance
• Call Rooms
• Meal allowance
• Two personalized white coats
  

   

Competency Expectations after 1yr Fellowship completion

• Maternity care in Routine and High risk Obstetrics including but, not limited to, GDM/T2DM, Chronic HTN, Gestational HTN, Preeclampsia/Eclampsia, PPROM, Preterm labor, PPH, shoulder dystocia, VBAC, other chronic conditions in pregnancy.
• Cesarean sections
• Normal Vaginal Delivery
• Assisted Vaginal Delivery
• Insertion of Balloon tamponade for PPH (Bakri, Jada)
• Vaginal Laceration repairs (1st-4th degrees)
• Obstetric Ultrasound Proficiency
• Circumcisions
• Colposcopy and LEEP procedures
• Endometrial Biopsy
• Polyp removal
• Suction D&C for failed pregnancies
• Sterilization (bilateral salpingectomy)
• IUD Insertion/Removal
• Nexplanon Insertion/Removal
• Eligibility for American Board of Physician Specialties Family Medicine Obstetrics Board certification
  

   

How to apply:

We are thrilled that you have chosen to further your training in Family Medicine - Obstetrics. We currently recruit two fellows each year. We accept applications until September 1st and start Interviews mid September. We look forward to reviewing your application. If you have any questions regarding the program and/or application, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Lobaina and/or Mrs. Mireles.

Please submit the following documents by September 1st to both our Program Director and GME Program Coordinator (Information below). Applications must be sent through email (DO NOT mail):

Program Director
Dr. Yanet Lobaina
Yanet.Lobaina@christushealth.org

GME Program Coordinator
Mrs. Denise Mireles
Denise.Mireles@christushealth.org

• Updated CV
• 3 Letters of Recommendation (one from Program Director and 2 from FP or OB faculty)
• Personal Statement of your interest in OB/Women’s health fellowship
• USMLE or COMLEX score transcript
• PGY1/2 ITE or AOA ACOFP In-Service Exam performance record
• List of procedures completed in Residency (Procedure log download from Resident management system)
• Medical School MSPE (Dean’s Letter)